New SmarTrip card programs will start this fall

WASHINGTON – A number of new programs for Metro’s SmarTrip card are set to begin Sept. 1.

The agency will begin offering a $3 rebate to riders who purchase a card online for $5. Instead of a refund check or credit on a debit card, the $3 rebate will be placed on the SmarTrip card as added fare.

A minimum fee requirement also goes into effect. Riders will need at least $1.20 on their cards in order to ride the system. For seniors and the disabled, the base requirement will be 35 cents.

Metro’s Fast Pass, which comes with seven days of unlimited rides on the train, will no longer be sold after Aug. 31 and will no longer be accepted after Dec. 31.